A House Divided? Not When It Comes to Big Tech’s Data Centers.

Why the fight over local data centers could be crucial to winning swing voters in the midterms.

America is in as deep a partisan divide as at any point in our history. In 2017, I said on ABC News that our country was as divided and polarized as at any time since the Civil War. Many people criticized this statement, and I was accused of hyperbole. Hmmm …

At points like this, when the political environment exposes a “house divided” as Lincoln would say, it is crucial to find issues that motivate and persuade across the ideological spectrum while looking at how to win a general election in swing states or swing districts.

Most competent political strategists seek issues and values that can simultaneously motivate their base while also persuading independents. Getting party partisans to turn out as strongly as possible, while also moving swing voters into one’s column on general election day is essential.

Democrats have the best path right now of running on those “two-fer” issues. For instance, Democratic voters and independent voters both favor the Dems on the economy and inflation. Another two-fer issue is opposing Trump and supporting our Constitution and democracy which both motivates a partisan base and moves swing voters. Health care and supporting Medicare is advantageous ground for Democratic politicians.

Today, there are few issues which have an additive benefit of appealing to opposing partisans or causing those partisans to be less motivated. None of the issues mentioned above appeal to GOP voters or Trump supporters. When you can find an issue that appeals across the complete political spectrum, you have found the “needle in a haystack.”

Well, while perusing polling data this week in the haystack of America, I got stuck by one of those needles. And this issue is missed or underestimated by so many elected officials, though voters are trying to signal to politicians the power of this issue. What is it? The issue is the construction, or proposed construction, of local data centers in communities through the United States.

In a nonpartisan poll done by The Economist/YouGov this past week, the data is clear and the needle is clearly seen. Overall, 60% of voters oppose these local data centers, while a small 24% support the building of local data centers. On its own, this is a strong issue. Looking deeper, 64% of Democratic voters oppose data centers, 63% of independents oppose, and an amazing 52% of Republican voters oppose data centers. In fact, the most hardcore partisan group of “MAGA” supporters — a plurality of 48% — are against local data centers.

Opposing local data centers appeals across all races and nationalities, all religious affiliations, all age groups, all income groups, and among both women and men. This issue also unites people in all 50 states, including urban, suburban, and rural voters.

This is a unique “three-fer” issue: motivating Democrats, persuading Independents, and demotivating Republicans. My sense is this issue appeals across the political spectrum for several reasons. First, voters are worried about the use and damage to local resources (like water) for data centers. Second, voters are in a very populist mood and upset that billionaire tech titans have way too much sway in today’s society. And third, voters are concerned about security and privacy and think these tech corporations are way too intrusive in citizens’ private lives.

So why is it that most politicians are mute on this issue or acquiesce to the demands of the tech community? I think this a classic case of voters being way ahead of politicians, and politicians being incredibly slow in seeing the power of this issue and staying in tune with the wishes of the voters in America. It is time for candidates to catch up and get in line with voters. And by doing so they will have discovered one of the very few issues which is the perfect storm for politics.

As Lincoln said in his 1858 “House Divided” speech: “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it.” It seems to me if one’s goal is to accomplish good public policy, win an election, and begin to heal some of the divisions in America, opposing local data centers is a sure winner.

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